Crown Heights Affair

So here’s the deal: three albums across two CDs crammed with dance, funk and ballads. Some have full blown group vocals while others the lead singer with sympathetic support voices, but all melting together in the style so significant in the late seventies/early eighties when competition was fierce. Founded by Donnie Linton in 1967, the group from New York City had a sketchy start until their “Dreaming A Dream” in 1975 registered them as crossover US hit makers. The opening cut on this set, “Dance Lady Dance” shot into the US top twenty and hit the UK top fifty, marking their third chart entry. The guys bought to the table their own brand of disco; a rich, all-inclusive sound, almost on the verge of overflowing with horns, percussion and keyboards. Amidst the dance, the occasional ray of eloquent soul shines through. “Empty Soul Of Mine” is a good example. A strongly flavoured ballad of emotional moments that gently tug at the heart. “Heart Upside Down” is another, with its impassioned vocals against a warm, comforting musical backdrop.

To be fair, the uptempo cuts are on the ball, of the minute, bringing home a healthy blend of decisive beats and attractive hook lines that often are quite inspiring. Check out “Think Positive”, a hard hitting rap track where the repetitious, grinding pace is highlighted by vocal breaks, while “You’ve Been Gone” jogs along like a train travelling over railway tracks. Then there’s the tempo change in “I See The Light” which reminded me of Earth Wind & Fire, and “Use Your Body & Soul”, with a rap section midway through, interrupting blistering vocals over a clipped disco beat. And last but certainly not least, classic Crown Heights Affair with “You Gave Me Love”, their biggest selling UK title, hitting the top ten. Heavy, meaty dance where the high spots are the repetitive ‘whoo hoo, whoo hoo’, and I can just imagine a dancefloor crammed with jumping dancers imitating this chorus. Think I’ll join them.
Rating: 8

M.F.S.B.: THE DEFINITIVE COLLECTION (ROBINSONGS)

I can’t tell you how excited I was to finally receive this Collection because my love for this orchestra is on the same level as my feelings for the Salsoul Orchestra, which, of course, is totally reasonable. Why? Well, when M.F.S.B. fractured due to financial disagreements with Gamble & Huff, several musicians actually switched to the Salsoul Orchestra, spearheaded by Vince Montana Jr. Anyway, back to this review. A pool of thirty-plus hand-picked studio musicians who worked with Gamble & Huff in the Philadelphia Sigma Sound Studios, M.F.S.B. (an acronym of Mother, Father, Sister, Brother, in line with the spiritual views of Gamble & Huff, although another meaning was given to the initials by musicians when complimenting another’s musical expertise) were legendary in providing lush and sumptuous music for artists like Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes, The Stylistics and The Spinners. Comprising a mixture of multi-talented musicians of all ages, some self-taught or classically trained – like Norman Harris, Bob Babbitt, Earl Young, Vince Montana Jr and Bobby Eli – who became household names, unlike, say, Berry Gordy’s inhouse unit because he insisted they remained nameless, despite them being responsible for the very foundation of what is known as ‘The Motown Sound’. Then, in the early seventies, M.F.S.B. thankfully became recordings artists in their own right when their second single, the theme to the US groundbreaking music show “Soul Train” was released under the title “T.S.O.P. (The Sound of Philadelphia)” with the added attraction of The Three Degrees. This timeless slice of sophisticated dance tore the international charts apart, selling over one million copies in America alone. The same combination was used again on “Love Is The Message”, another beautifully orchestrated piece, perfect in every respect, and a true legacy of the Philadelphia sound which would grow into a musical giant across the world. The song became one of the first to be inducted into the newly formed Dance Music Hall Of Fame in 2004.

So, this first “Double Definitive Collection” includes full-length versions of their biggest tracks, including “Let’s Clean Up The Ghetto” featuring the Philadelphia International All Stars. This was a project initiated by Gamble & Huff to support a five-year inner city programme, with all profits earmarked for this cause. What else? There’s “K-Jee” featured in the film and soundtrack of “Saturday Night Fever”; a semi-funk “Backstabbers”; an earthy delivery on “Family Affair”; a spiced up “Philadelphia Freedom” which go hand-in-hand with a mellow “South Philly” and a powerful disco based “Get Down With The Philly Sound”. The entire 2-CD package overflows with a musical elegance, enhanced with a dusting of classy melodies and hook lines that extend far and beyond the confines of session musicians. Whether the track is dance orientated, pulsating up tempo or dreamy ballad, the unique orchestral styling of M.F.S.B. is immediately recognisable, and it’s faultless in presentation. They are the very soul of Philadelphia. OK, I realise I’m biased but can’t help myself.
Rating: 10

HAYWOODE: ROSES: REMIXES & RARITIES (CHERRY RED RECORDS)
The gal with the crazy hairstyle and floppy straw hat! Hey, but that was the eighties. One of our precious homegrown singers, Sid remained the girl-next-door, a fab friend and a great talker, and this never changed when her star began rising with crossover hits. We met regularly, and her CBS press agent discovered it was best for our interviews to be at the close of the day because Sid and I like to party afterwards. Anyway, that aside. Released as the companion to the top selling “Arrival” reissue, Sid’s music on this double CD package has been re-mastered from original CBS tapes, and bring together a selection of her most sought after re-mixes. All from the eighties, these cover some rare sides and previously unreleased titles spanning her stay at the record company. It’s wall-to-wall dance music – pop, hi- energy, hard funk meets classic eighties disco – re-mixed by a host of influential names of the decade, like Mike Barbiero and Steve Thompson, who would later work with Whitney Houston and Aretha Franklin, among others. And their mix of “Roses”, her third single, starts this sometimes frenetic journey. “It’s funky pop and the lyric of not having a man mess me around resonated with me” she said. Her debut single “A Time Like This” here mixed by Nick Martinelli (both 7” and 12”) is quite amazing. Recorded in Philadelphia for her debut US market outing, the track was canned in preference to “Roses”. Bypassing, her second single “Single Handed”, a Detroit extended mix of “I Can’t Let You Go” – which I’ve always loved – has an amazing driving beat. “…totally re-recorded in Detroit with Bruce Nazarian and Duane Bradley it gives the song a more ‘live’ jazzy band feel” said Sid. “(Together with) the sax and piano flavoured pop-soul-funk elements that I was personally vibe with.” Interestingly, there’s a couple of groovy instrumentals here too, “You’d Better Not Fool Around” and “I Can’t Let You Go”, a pleasant diversion for sure.

Talking about “I’m Your Puppet”, Sid’s take on the James and Bobby Purify classic, she explained it was her father’s favourite tune which inspired her to record it. “Music was like food in our house…I was uber-delighted when I found out I was to record it in the home of Philly Soul and work with Nick. These memories of that trip stand out for me.” All credit to her, the song is beautifully constructed and delivered. Sid co-wrote “My Kind Of Hero”, a welcoming ballad sung with a certain commitment – “It does have a Tina Turner feel to the backing track which wasn’t intentional on my part, although she is an inspirational stage goddess for me.” Stock, Aitken and Waterman were the power behind “You’d Better Not Fool Around” which was partly re-recorded and re-mixed before hitting the public as a single. “I like the vocal melody and ‘man, get ya act together’ lyric.” It’s another full-on slice of dance, with a scorching feel and atmosphere. Then, as if that wasn’t enough, the CD, in its eye-catching packaging, closes with The Haywoode Mega-Mix comprising five belting tracks that take no prisoners. Summing up, this package is overflowing with energy, youthful enthusiasm and Sid’s total commitment to her music. And there’s more to come as a new album is in the planning stages for release this year, with a promise of UK dates. What more could we want? “Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your interest and support of my music over the years. It truly means the world to me.”
Rating: 9

NORMAN BEAKER BAND: WE SEE US LATER (WEINERWORLD)

Inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame during 2017 as a legendary blues artist, Norman Beaker wrote and produced this studio album, which I believe has previously been available digitally, and features sixteen tracks covering different styles – but all with a deep rooted blues feel. I’ve seen the Norman Beaker Band perform at my local theatre several times, both as support to Chris Farlowe and as a separate unit, where their music bounces from the stage into the standing room only audience. They really are party nights. Although Norman is deadly serious about his music, he performs with a sense of humour which he believes is a good balance between the music and old comedy, like that delivered by Tony Hancock, whom he also loves. This is openly apparent when the group perform with Chris Farlowe because they’re for ever scoring points off each other. Seriously though, Norman and the guys have toured extensively with the likes of Graham Bond, Chuck Berry and Van Morrison, and worked as session musicians for James Booker and Jack Bruce, among others. The opening track here, “Only I Got What The Other Guys Want”, sets the pace, and the journey into the world of the blues according to Norman begins. Particular highlights are “Time And Tide” featuring Steve Ellis on vocals, and “I Don’t Want A Lover” with Larry Garner supporting on vocals and guitar. Also highly recommended – the earthy “Hard To Be Somebody” and the tormented “Cheating Love”. Norman Beaker has been at the forefront of British blues for over four decades, and although the genre isn’t a particular favourite of mine, I’m grateful to him for educating me through his visits to my town.
Rating: 7

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